OpenSciEd is a set of Creative Commons licensed, standards aligned curriculum and teacher professional learning materials that will be available for grades K-12. Using a storyline model that gives students the responsibility of "figuring out" science phenomena by engaging in science practices and classroom discussion to achieve…

Scientist-teacher partnerships are a unique form of professional development that can assist teachers in translating current science into classroom instruction by involving them in meaningful collaborations with university researchers. However, few reported models aim to directly alter science teachers' practices by supporting them in the…

This manuscript addresses how post-secondary educators can enhance their teaching effectiveness and student learning outcomes through student assessment. Highlights will include evidence-based practices, teaching style, methodology, and the use of assessment data for university instructors. Primary focus will be data obtained from key stakeholders…

Directors of early childhood programs are the "frontline" for parents seeking admission for their children with identified special needs. In addition, developmental and behavioral issues that emerge after a child is enrolled in a program quickly come to the director's attention. Determining who can be included at a site, how to prepare the…

The goal of this paper is to introduce the curriculum strategy framework as a way to characterize teachers' interactions with curriculum materials. The framework focuses on three key interpretive activities: reading, evaluating, and adapting curriculum materials. Describing an individual teacher's curriculum strategy involves identifying the…

Today's schools face a challenge in preparing children for the demands of the 21st century. Approaches to curriculum and instruction must be developed to provide the young with the tools they will need to survive. (CK)

Fourth grade is an important year for literacy learning. Having left the primary grades behind, students must grapple with more demanding texts and content material. Effective, motivating instruction can help them succeed. This book helps teachers create an energized and organized learning environment in which all students can improve their…

This study examines the perceptions of the learning environment and the attitudes held by students using various science-teaching materials in Texas. Using the My Class Inventory (MCI), interviews, and observation, students' perceptions of their classroom environments and their attitudes toward science were assessed. The goal of this study was to…

A proactive guidance approach focuses on the child's self-involvement in his decision-making and in his subsequent responsibility as an individual and as a member of an interacting society. The decision-making process places emphasis on the school's creation of a learning environment which enhances a child's natural inquisitiveness about himself…

Describes materials and a specific teaching approach aimed at improving an aspect of children's communication known as referential communication. Argues that this ability and the complementary listening skills are basic to successful classroom discourse and that they are important abilities in most communication. (KO)

Designed for teachers and other adults who work with young children, this manual provides guidelines for designing creative house corner activities. The first chapter examines outcomes inherent in dramatic play. Chapter Two presents practical suggestions for arranging the area and selecting and displaying materials which will inspire dramatic…

Piaget's concepts of knowledge seen as a result of active interaction between the child and his environment, and motivation, seen as intrinsic to intellectual functioning, have implications for the development of preschool programs. A preschool program must be action-oriented if the child is to learn to "know" and must offer an…

This module provides a framework for designing a functional curriculum for students with disabilities. Topics addressed include designing and using a functional curriculum, analyzing student needs, and conducting job analysis. A list of 14 references is included, and examples of forms are provided. The guide includes a list of definitions and uses…

This collection contains Child Development Associate (CDA) training materials from the Fall River, Massachusetts, training program, including a booklet for trainers, a chapter on curriculum planning, and three modules covering the areas of preschool environment, daily schedule and transitions, and observations of children. Each module contains a…

This curriculum guide was prepared for teachers, administrators and librarians to assist them in designing educational programs for children generally between the ages of three to eight, with emphasis on ages three to five. The guide provides a framework for THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF A PROGRAM - the philosophy, goals, objectives, curriculum,…